Allan is Cree and a member of the wolf clan. He is from the Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario. He grew up in Cochrane, living in and out of foster care. He is a survivor of sexual abuse and started drinking at fourteen. His high school years were a mixture of good grades and escalating addictions. By the time Allan was eighteen, he was living on the streets.

At twenty, he went to live with his mother, got a job, and then his own place. He then relapsed, lost his home, and ended up living in the woods. Allan hit rock bottom last year after finding himself in the hospital in Thunder Bay. The issue was serious, the withdrawal was intense, and he called his brother for help. He got him a one-way ticket to go live with him. His brother told him about Na-Me-Res. He was accepted and has stayed clean & sober. He is now living at Sagatay and taking programs to learn skills and self-care. He is re-learning about his culture with drumming, smudging, the garden, the plants, the circles, and the sacred fire.

“Na-Me-Res has been giving me strength, hope, and self-esteem. I wouldn’t change anything about what I am going through now.”

Allan is now taking the Community and Health Care Worker program with Anishnawbe Health Toronto. He is learning about community training and working in the food bank kitchen. His goal is to go to college and become a social worker. To give back to the community and to return home to Attawapiskat First Nation.